Anybody want to predict where NS steam will go this year? It seems that we have three locos this year, 4501, 765, and 611. 630 is staying home to do museum work according to Trains Magazine. The first 611 trips will most likely be from Roanoke. 765 and 4501, who knows.

John Joseph

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 11:01 pm

Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 10:18 pmPosts: 2

Hopefully we can see trips out of Va , question tho where is feasible and wich is the lucky contestant lol

southern154

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:43 pm

Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:54 pmPosts: 283

Obviously trips out of Roanoke will be scheduled for 611, it has been said multiple times lately that 765 will be traveling to places that haven't seen steam since 1988. 4501 will be out and about across the Southern (Hopefully another Knoxville-Asheville trip through the gorge). And 630 will most likely stay at the museum. There may not be as many trips due to increased freight trains, but who knows. I have the feeling that 2016 will be the year to whitness, some may or may not have realized that it will the the 50th anniversary of the original steam program...just something to ponder. Anyways, I'm sure we will know the schedule in the coming few days!

Last edited by southern154 on Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

We had enough lively debate just over green-versus-black on 4501. I don't even want to THINK about how acrimonious things will be if they start painting them WHITE. Besides, how will NS keep them clean?

How about Manassas as a boarding point for some 611 excursions to make it easier for people closer to DC? The VRE train goes there from DC but it doesn't run on weekends when 611 will most likely operate and reverse service is very limited in the early morning from DC to Manassas. How frequent is Amtrak service through Manassas? I'm from eastern PA so we could drive down via York and Baltimore.

co614

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:39 am

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:19 pmPosts: 1750Location: Pottstown,Pa.

I would strongly suggest keeping your expectations very modest as the railroad is still dealing with a wealth of freight business and working day and night to meet customer expectations.

My best guess is that the steam excursions will be very few, if any, until things loosen up?

Time will tell.

Ross Rowland

Robert K

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 6:39 pm

Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2014 5:32 amPosts: 45

Then how can the 611 group even think about running excursions this summer under those conditions? Would NS let them run at least a few excursions in Virginia? We haven't even heard anything from TVRM about 4501 excursions on NS yet. Last year the TVRM/NS excursions started at the end of March.

co614

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:53 pm

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:19 pmPosts: 1750Location: Pottstown,Pa.

Perhaps we're speaking different languages??? Repeat.....until the current hyper busy situation throughout the NS system eases up I would NOT expect many IF ANY steam excursions to be operated.

What part of NO are you struggling with???

Ross Rowland

Robert K

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:37 pm

Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2014 5:32 amPosts: 45

I did read somewhere that the 611 group was going to run the 611 back to Roanoke and park it for the remainder of the year, I hope that isn't true. Maybe they could incorporate the ferry run back into a public excursion, Spencer to Roanoke with a bus return. Hope NS can get the busy traffic situation sorted out. Well, there's always tourist lines this summer if there aren't any NS excursions.

southern154

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 10:05 pm

Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:54 pmPosts: 283

NS did officially announce that steam would run on their rails this year. The reason for no steam last year was that all the crews for the diesel helpers and pilot crews were being needed on freight trains. In response to that, NS said that they were training crews to staff the excursions. I don't if that still rings true, but I really hope to see both 611 and 4501 out and about along the NS system this year! Any word on when the schedule will be announced?

Miketherailfan

Post subject: Re: 2015 NS excursion routes

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:51 am

Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 7:58 pmPosts: 111Location: Hershey, PA

southern154 wrote:

NS did officially announce that steam would run on their rails this year. The reason for no steam last year was that all the crews for the diesel helpers and pilot crews were being needed on freight trains. In response to that, NS said that they were training crews to staff the excursions. I don't if that still rings true, but I really hope to see both 611 and 4501 out and about along the NS system this year! Any word on when the schedule will be announced?

I'm not sure where you heard the company was training crews to staff any steam trips. There are VERY few, if any, T&E personnel that are steam qualified, per se. Currently there are no special classes or the like to get crews qualified. Any crews called for any excursion are pilots, usually with the host group providing a qualified engineer. A pilot engineer and conductor qualified on the territory is the current norm.

I should know.... I piloted a pair of Amtrak specials back in the fall from Harrisburg to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. No prior special training was done.

And no, there is nothing new on an announcement of a schedule. Patience, young padawans.

Perhaps the NS excursion season is starting later this year, there has been no mention of TVRM 4501 trips on NS in April, 765 is supposed to run on NS this year but probably not until May, June, or July. 611 is supposed to run trips this summer which means June, July, or August. 611's work is supposed to be completed in May. But it seems fishy for NS to be so hush hush on a schedule and here we are almost at April and TVRM still knows nothing about 4501 trips on NS yet. They have been running 4501 on their own tracks and the Georgia shortline. Last year the TVRM excursions on NS started last weekend in March. They ran on the Rathole in TN and KY for the first time last year. At least NS might have some choo-choo's this year whereas the other three letter railroad will have nothing as usual since 1994. (Milw 261 pulled New River trains in 1994, after that, Amtrak Genesis diesels took over fall 1995 and up) It's easier to host Amtrak charters than steam excursions because qualified diesel crews aren't hard to find. There have been a whole bunch of Amtrak charters or trips using borrowed Amtrak and other equipment this spring like an overnight Spencer to DC excursion, WV to DC, etc., some of those haven't happened yet. NCTM and Collis P. Huntington are the organizations running those trips. Apparently the three letter railroad will allow some non-regularly scheduled Amtrak train trips provided they are diesel powered most likely with Amtrak units, and coaches are all Amtrak certified.

Moderator: can the post with the link to the to the April fools post please be deleted? This is a real thread, not some stupid joke thread. This is exactly why I think the April 1 nonsense needs to end. Someone goes and posts a link to fake garbage in a real thread.

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